Nation
Wildfires expose millions in the Midwest and Northeast US to dangerous smoke
Heavy smoke from several large wildfires blazing in Canada and Minnesota is expected to engulf large swaths of the Midwest and Northeast U.S. this week, exposing millions of people to dangerous air pollution. Minnesota officials issued an air quality alert from Tuesday through Friday for areas including the Twin Cities metro area, Alexandria and Two […]
More health workers strike as Ebola cases in Congo exceed 2,000, including 754 deaths
BUNIA, Congo | The number of confirmed cases of Ebola in Congo has reached 2,011, including 754 deaths, according to government data released overnight in what authorities say is the fastest-growing outbreak on record. Health workers at Bunia General Hospital, the region’s largest medical center, went on strike on Wednesday and are the latest group […]
A top EU official pledges military support for Ukraine’s sovereignty against Russia’s invasion
KYIV, Ukraine | European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen marked Ukraine’s annual Statehood Day on Wednesday in Kyiv, pledging continued military and financial support for the country’s sovereignty as it holds out against Russia’s 4-year-old full-scale invasion. Ukraine has been under threat since Russian forces illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, followed eight […]
Heavy rains keep drenching South Texas, tornado reported in San Antonio
UVALDE, Texas | Slow-moving storms with heavy rain were drenching a large swath of South Texas on Wednesday, spawning a tornado in San Antonio a day after downpours washed out roads and farmland and led to dozens of high-water rescues in the region. The National Weather Service said a tornado touched down in the northwestern […]
ICE should keep making traffic stops despite recent shootings, Trump says
WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump wants Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to keep pulling over vehicles, signaling his opposition Wednesday to plans announced just a day earlier to suspend most traffic stops following another string of fatal shootings. It’s not clear whether ICE will quickly reverse course and resume most stops, which have been a […]
Iran threatens to halt Mideast energy exports after US reimposes a blockade and intensifies strikes
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates | The U.S. reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and intensified its airstrike campaign Wednesday in retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The American strikes hit an Iranian army barracks, killed at least seven troops and wounded more than 260 people across the […]
Man fleeing immigration officers in Florida is struck and killed by tractor trailer, police say
A man running from an encounter with immigration and other federal agents in Florida was struck and killed by a tractor trailer on Tuesday, authorities said. It was the third death in a week involving encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, following shootings in Texas and Maine. The 28-year-old was among four occupants […]
House OKs bill to make daylight saving time permanent; Colorado stands ready. Senate next
WASHINGTON | There will be no turning back the clock if the House has its way. The House passed a bill Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent. Proponents, including the White House, argued the change would provide more daylight during the times that Americans are most active. The vote was 308-117. Colorado state […]
Human rights groups sue over Trump administration’s sanctions on ICC for investigations into Israel
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two human rights groups say Trump administration sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court over its investigations of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza have illegally impeded their ability to advocate for Palestinians. The organizations say in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that they have been forced to censor their own advocacy work […]
Trump reduces size of 2 national monuments in Utah as Republicans reshape land management
President Donald Trump on Monday sharply reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah, undoing protections established by his Democratic predecessors on public lands that are sacred among many Native Americans. Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in southern Utah have ancient cliff dwellings, petroglyphs and scenic canyons, as well as coal and […]